Sutherland announced that it has acquired AI-based customer experience platform Augment CXM, as the industry doubles down on AI and automation solutions amid cost-cutting and declining revenues.
Sutherland makes several AI-powered tools for the contact center industry, including an AI-powered chatbot and cybersecurity solutions.
Augment CXM makes a navigation system for the contact center, harnessing AI to provide real-time agent conversational guidance, which the company says is built from hundreds of millions of customer interactions.
The acquisition comes as tech vendors double down on AI and automation to cater to cost-conscious buyers, who are faced with pressure from high staff costs, declining consumer demand, and an industry-wide transition to the cloud.
Indeed, a recent survey found that AI use in contact centers is up fourfold since 2019.